West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1887-07-21
A Hnymakcr,s Hin,..

n haymakCr'S Htut~.
Mr. Robert X. TomliuSou's ESSAY on
cutting curing and storing hay -princi
pal parts Of which we append was
Judged to bc the best of eleven offered in
competition for Farm Journal" prize
'lf for hard working or driving horses
cut when about halCof the clover head.
are brown, or when the timothy is Just
past bloom. If for dairy cows, idle
horses or sheep, cut when the clover Is
IN full bloom or when the timothy Is
Just heading. Awcck or ten days before
the time for cutting the early OF COW hay,
begin 60 watch the weather sharply aud
without regard to the weather indicu-
tons from Washington. ON the iist
decidedly clear day, especially if after "A
general storm, and the wind north and
cool for the season, begin moving at
once, and, if convenient, with two ma
chimes 50 rs to get quantity making as
soon as possible. The chances arc nine
out of ten, IL not niucty-ninc out of 100,
that there will follow, in this locality, at
least, three days of good hay weather;
hence 1t is best To cut down at once all
that can be handled i'm that time
"Thc young grass on the damp ground
and in the cool air will cure slowly las il
j.
and the machine probably need not be
stopped the first day to rake the hay
But the lunches and thick places should
be shaken up and scattered about and
rs soon rs the stccl-tooth rake can per
form properly the grass should bc gath
cred into winrows into small ones il IL
is curing slowly, and large ones if it is
curing rapidly The time Of mking and
the size of the winrows give us complete
control of the operation of curing. II
cured too rapidly we lose part of the
heads and leaves, and lose at the same
time the finest quality and aroma OF the
hay. If cured too slowly we run too
great risk from the weather The win
rows should be turned or rolled over once
or twice TO expose new surfaces TO the
sun and air, but need not be rc-spread as
in the method of cooking. The latter,
! indeed, is too costly in time and labor
| for modern farming.
''lf partly cured hay is likely To be
caught in storm, cooking and hay caps
may be rcsortcd to; but the great secret
of successful haymaking is not TO bc thus
/ caught I'm haymakiug as usually prac.
/ ticcd, the cutting can be done in the
morning; the mking toward evening.
and the hauling next day. In this case,
and still more when the already partly
/ dried grass can be cut and secured on the
same day but little risk of rain. with
/ ordinary observation aud prudence, need
! be run, Even the extra early suCCulcnt
/ grass, which makes the finest cow hay
\ can be cut, properly cured and housed i'm
/ three days, which is within the limit of
/ the extra fine weather conditions noted
/ above But these must be watched for
| prepared for, and when they come. must
/ bc improved with an extra force and en-
| crgy. And in my opinion, no extra out
/ lay will so well repay the dairyman as
! that which secures such winter feed. The
amount of drying or curing needed dc
| pcnds very much upon the storing.
" II the mows are mere shelves whore
the hay will be only few feet in depth
and width, then the hay must be well
cured or mould will surely appear IT,
on the contrary they are deep and wide
/ bays, exposed 10 the appoximating
/ i'm fact, the principles of the silo-thcn
| the hay needs 10 be cured only mf
/ iicicntly TO keep il from charring or firing
/ with the heat Of fermentation: provided
/ that large quantity is put in at one time
and that the tOp-laycrs consist Of straw
| or well cured hay With am abundance
/ Of carly cut clover or mixed hay, cured
/ lightly in the field and stored in such
mows, neither the dairy farmer nor his
/ cuttlc need banker after cnsiIa2c; for the
/ degree Of succuicncy in such hay much
greater than ordinary hay) is nearer right
/ for general winter feed than the stl
/ greater succulcncy Of corn Again It's
feeding value is much greater than fod
/ der corn whether green, dry or cnsiaged
\ LASTLY, partly, drying i'm the field and
I dispensing with weights i'm storing,
causes the labor to bc less than that OF
/ cnsilage"